Mississippi Today (https://mississippitoday.org/author/kskinner/)
Kayleigh Skinner covers education, government, politics and how they intersect and impact the lives of people in Mississippi. She also curates The Bell, Mississippi Today’s monthly education newsletter. Kayleigh has a bachelor’s in journalism from the School of Journalism and New Media from the University of Mississippi. She has been recognized as a member of the 2018 class of the ProPublica and Ida B. Wells Society Data Institute and a member of the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Journalism Award-winning team.
An Oxford physician and at least one other doctor in the state say they lost their jobs after going public with concerns about personal protective equipment for frontline health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients
Rural schools, which serve 235,000 students in Mississippi, are finding creative ways to overcome equity and access hurdles that schools throughout the state are facing. “It’s going to take some private sector help … our churches, faith-based organizations …have to help with this as well”
Map of sites offering free breakfast and lunch to students 18 and under
The board of education waived the requirement that schools must meet for 180 days, meaning districts do not have to make up the days lost due to coronavirus closures.
The House is done with legislative work until at least April 1, but the Senate must reconvene Wednesday morning to finalize the postponement of the session. Effort to provide protections for private employees fails
The request comes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has forced Mississippi public schools to close until at least next week; many districts have voluntarily agreed to remain closed longer
Amid a global pandemic that officially reached Mississippi this week, Gov. Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon.
The IHL issued a statement Thursday saying that all public colleges and universities will transition to alternate methods, such as online and remote instruction as efforts around the nation mount to limit the spread of the virus
Mississippi Today sat down with Hannah Gadd Ardrey to reflect on her year and how her own childhood and grade school experiences shaped her teaching philosophies
Measure passed out of the Senate Friday and now moves to the House where it’s expected to be well received
Proposals included changing the state flag, expanding Medicaid, hemp farming, mobile sports betting, reducing the prison population, criminalizing teen ‘sexting’ and more
House approves measure that allows state auditor to view tax returns of Mississippians enrolled in public assistance programs
Appointment sets up a potentially dramatic Senate committee vote for former state Sen. Nancy Collins who became a top adversary of public education advocacy groups after she sponsored voucher-like legislation while serving in the Senate
Educators and advocates were on hand as Senate committee passed a bill that would give an $1,110 raise to teachers in their first three years of teaching, and $1,000 for teachers across the board
In previous years, the Legislature has passed laws that expand the use of public funds to attend charter and private schools.The Education Scholarship Account program, popular with students and parents at this year’s event, sunsets if lawmakers don’t address it during the current session